Draw the Line
by jesusfreak100percent
Summary: “Anyway… we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble any more.” “Have you ever?” asked Hermione. “Course we have,” said George. “Never been expelled, have we?” “We've always known where to draw the line,” said Fred. What line did they mean?


"and there's its twin, unnatural little beasts they are." – Kreacher, Order of the Phoenix

"Anyway… we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble any more."  
"Have you ever?" asked Hermione.  
"Course we have," said George. "Never been expelled, have we?"  
"We've always known where to draw the line," said Fred.  
"We might have put a toe across it occasionally," said George.  
"But we've always stopped short of causing real mayhem," said Fred. – Order of the Phoenix

Draw the Line

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you two," McGonagall said fiercely, lips pressed into her well known firm line.

The two recipients of her glare gave her their most charming smiles. Too bad that had stopped working- no, now she thought about it – had never worked. Minerva had always prided herself on being strict, fair and utterly un-charmable. In the non-magical sense, of course.

"What on earth possessed you to try and put a Cheering Charm on a professor? Nevermind the fact that you would never actually get away with pulling it off, but Professor Snape has excellent observational skills and every one of our Professor's is capable of removing a Cheering Charm…" she trailed off a bit at the end. That last statement wasn't entirely true. While the majority of Hogwarts staff were some of the best wizards and witches in Britain, there were a few exceptions. Sybill, for example, or their current DADA professor, who both seemed about as capable as goats at anything more useful than breathing.

The two boys both began to speak, quickly drawing the Professor out of her inner rambling. "Enough, Mr Weasleys. This, along with about five other counts in today alone – enchanting portraits, for one, what on earth was that about? – has led me to come to the conclusion that, at the very least, you deserve to spend the rest of the year in detention! What do you have to say for yourselves?!"

There was a second's pause, before one of the twin's began to speak. Fred, as usual. He was nearly always the first to speak. Actually, as much as the twins seemed to read each other's minds, careful observation had led her to the conclusion that they practised and discussed every day scenarios (such as talking) beforehand.

"Oh Professor, you know you don't want to do that!"

"And why on earth would that be?" she asked, tiredly rubbing her forehead.

"Because," George chimed in, "If you do that, then what will you do next time we break one of your many rules?"

McGonagall raised her head to give them a piercing glare. "I think you're missing the point of the detentions, Mr Weasley."

Fred again, "Professor, you do realise we, as first years, had already surpassed the average amount of detentions a moderately _obedient_" the word said in a scathing tone, "student would have in their whole seven years? And now, second years, we have been described as 'human bludgers'? I think you can expect more law-breaking in the future."

"Really?" she asked dryly, "Care to give me any specifics? Dates, times, places? Nature of the crimes? If I can write the reports now, it will save me time later"

"We are unable to share the secrets of our trade – but there might be obvious clues at the time. Shrieking, uncontrollable laughter, perhaps, or even smoke. Lots and lots of smoke." George ended with a slightly dreamy look on his face.

"Why thank you, Mr Weasley. How generous of you. Remind me, again, why I shouldn't just give you detention for the rest of the year? I daresay Mr. Filch will be capable of keeping you busy."

"No one can keep up busy – not at punishment. Entertainment, perhaps, but I doubt Filch will let us prank anyone when he's watching us."

"Alright, but you do realise there is more punishment in Hogwarts than detention? How do your Housemates feel when you lose them a few hundred points? Or," here McGonagall went for the throat, "how will you feel if I remove you from Gryffindor's team?"

"As to the first," Fred started, eyes wide with false innocence, "Professor! Do you honestly believe someone can bribe us into behaving?"

"Maybe with money," George interjected quickly. McGonagall gave him an evil glare.

"But measly points?" Fred continued hastily, "Anyways, our Housemates understand. We have ways to keep them quiet." He cackled, slightly madly, making McGonagall jump slightly, before giving him a suspicious look.

"And as for the second," George finished, "do you really want to remove one of the only other forms of entertainment we have allowing us more time to plan heinous plots of misery and humour?"

McGonagall sighed. This was going to be one long evening. 


End file.
